


I'd Tell You I Love You (if I could say it out loud)

by my_o_my_what_a_horrible_day



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Also they're both idiots, At least I tried, Blind ones, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I swear it sails eventually, Just give me a minute I'm trying my best, Look it sucks I know, M/M, Three Days in the Infirmary (Percy Jackson)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-07-20 16:07:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19994974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/my_o_my_what_a_horrible_day/pseuds/my_o_my_what_a_horrible_day
Summary: Nico thought he knew what to expect when he agreed to stay at Camp Half-Blood.He was even prepared to spend a few days in the camp infirmary (lets face it, he needed it)The only thing he wasn't prepared for was Will Solace.(basically a canon compliant Solangelo fic. Starts directly after Blood Of Olympus)edit: not getting finished. sorry, guys. got distracted. that'll teach me to post before i finish writing. won't happen again.





	1. And So It Begins (Nico)

**Author's Note:**

> Look this is my first fan fiction so I'm really sorry its gonna suck.  
> Constructive criticism is appreciated!

Nico shook out his hands, trying to calm his nerves. Yeah, okay, so he just admitted to Percy what he'd barely admitted to himself. That's cool. It's not a big deal. Just don't think about it.  
"You good?" Will Solace asked when Nico joined him at the door of the Apollo cabin.  
"I… um, yeah, I think so," Nico replied.  
"Good, because we have work to do," Will said as they entered the infirmary. Nico braced himself for a less than warm reception. The injured demigods did not disappoint. Murmurs drifted about the room, and several glares were thrown his way. None of these people wanted him here, and really, could he blame them? He was an outsider, and he radiated an aura of death. It was no surprise that they didn't want him around.  
Will paid it no mind, and Nico, lacking any more pleasant options, followed him across the room to a cluster of other people, obviously Apollo kids by their blonde hair and stuck up postures. Nico had only met the sun god once, but he was the most conceited god that Nico had ever encountered. And he'd met quite a few. The group weren't entirely so obnoxious, and they thankfully didn't have their father's habit of randomly reciting horrible poems, but they held themselves with this unmistakable air of confidence.  
Nico hung back while Will consulted with his siblings. He glanced nervously at his feet, where even two days after his last shadow travel, the edges of any dark spots in the room gravitated towards him. He stood out enough in the bright, airy room as is. He didn't need every miniscule patch of shadow pointing to him like an inverted spotlight.  
After a moment, Will pulled away and beckoned to Nico with a tilt of his head. Nico followed him through a door at the back of the room, which led to a large area sectioned off with curtains at regular intervals. Will led him to a section near the back, where there was an empty bed and a small table.  
"You can put your… oh," Will said, glancing at Nico's empty hands. "It didn't occur to you that maybe you should have brought clothes?"  
"Um, yeah, I was a little preoccupied. I'll have to run back to my cabin at some point, I guess," Nico replied.  
"You're such a dunce. Sit down, I need to check your vitals," Will said. Nico complied, but when Will reached over and grabbed his wrist, he jerked back.  
"Don't," Nico said.  
"What's the deal? It's not like you can expect me to monitor your health without knowing the basics, Nico," Will replied, exasperated.  
"I just… I don't like people touching me," Nico said.  
"Well, you're going to have to get over it," Will told him. Nico gaped. People just didn't talk to him like that. Even the few people he actually considered friends were afraid of him. But here's this obnoxious son of Apollo who had seen even more than most of what Nico was capable of, and yet seemed willing to do and say just about whatever he wanted. It made Nico nervous. He didn't always have control over when things happened. His emotions controlled more of his powers than his brain did. But that wasn't an issue yet, and so he heaved a sigh and offered his arm to Will.  
Will placed two fingers on Nico's wrist and closed his eyes. After a couple of seconds, his brow furrowed. He pulled away and frowned at Nico for a moment that stretched into two, and then he spoke.  
"You're a mess, di Angelo," he said simply. Nico glared at him.  
"Yeah? And?" Nico replied icily.  
"Your pulse is erratic, although that might have something to do with your aversion to human contact. Your temperature is low enough to border on dangerous, blood pressure isn't much better, and I'm sure you know this, but you're exhausted. What does your sleep schedule look like?"  
"Well, let me see. Do you mean when I was trekking through Tartarus with nobody to watch my back? Or when I had to put myself in a death trance so that I wouldn't suffocate? Or more recently, when I was unconscious more often then not and as soon as I could move, I was dragging myself, two others, and a huge statue across Europe? Or should I go back further than the past month, Solace?" Nico snapped. He was already sick of Will Solace and his nagging, and he hadn't even been there for an hour.  
Will just stared at him for a minute. A couple of times he opened his mouth to say something, and then decided better of it.  
"Fair enough," he finally admitted. "I guess tragic heroes don't have a chance to worry about their health."  
Nico scowled. "I'm not a tragic hero. And anyways, I feel fine. I'm fine."  
"Uh huh," Will said sarcastically. "If by 'fine,' you mean 'on the brink of physical deterioration,' then I agree."  
"I can take care of myself, Will," Nico growled.  
"If I recall, the last time you said something like that was right before you almost collapsed in the middle of a battlefield," Will remarked.  
"I didn't… I wasn't… Ugh! You're so annoying," Nico said, lacking a better retort. Will just laughed.  
"Yeah, I've heard that one before. Come on, Death Angel. If you're doing so well, you can help me make the rounds."  
"Don't call me…" Nico started, but Will had started to walk away. Nico hesitated, but then chased after him. Strangely enough, for the first time in a long time, Nico didn't want to be left alone.


	2. Sleep is Good for the Soul (Will)

It didn't take long for the two of them to check in on all of the remaining patients. In the days since the battle, most had been discharged. Nobody was in danger of death, because Will had been working nonstop the last two days. And so many of them are already dead, a small voice in Will's head spoke up. He tried to silence it. He couldn't afford to break down about his failures for at least a few more days, once he was back in the Apollo cabin, where the only people he had to worry about were the ones who would see through it anyways. He couldn't hide his emotions from his siblings, but it was necessary to hide them from his patients.   
The lack of any real activity left Nico room to make snarky comments at the expense of every patient, all of which Will laughed at and tried to pretend he didn't.  
"Oh, are eyepatches a new fashion trend?" he whispered in regard to a daughter of Aphrodite who was sporting the accessory in question.   
"I can see the family resemblance," he remarked when they saw a son of Hephaestus with some horrible scarring and disfigurement across the entirety of his face. Will choked a little at that one.   
"Be nice," he reprimanded.   
"I'm never nice," Nico replied. Will wasn't sure how to respond to that, because Nico was completely straight faced, in contrast to the stupid grin he had when he knew Will was going to laugh. He really wanted to tell him he was wrong, but… Well, Nico wasn't the type of guy to accept things like that. He'd probably argue about how nobody liked him and everybody just wanted him to leave. Even though Will, as the resident doctor of physical and mental health, would have to deal with that eventually, he didn't think that needed to be now. He needed to deal with all of Nico's physical issues first, as those were the ones that were actually a threat to his life. (Not to mention those were the only ones Will actually was sure he could fix.)  
They walked back to Nico's section of the infirmary, and Will turned to him.   
"Alright, here's how this is going to go. You're going to sit here and rest while I go get us some food. You're actually going to eat some of it, because I've heard about your eating habits and I promise, that's one of the easiest fixes for your health. Then you're going to get some sleep-"   
"No," Nico interjected.   
"Um, that's not actually optional. You severely need it," Will replied.   
"No," Nico said again, more forcefully.   
Will stared at him for a few moments. Nico glared back as if daring him to try and change his mind. Will wasn't sure quite how he was supposed to help Nico when Nico wouldn't let him. He'd dealt with difficult patients before, but none as bad as Nico. Especially since he'd seen what this boy did when he got angry. He wished he could say he wasn't scared of the son of Hades, but that wasn't the case. His doctor instincts just made him more concerned with the fact that Nico was slowly killing himself.   
Of course, Will could hardly blame him for being reluctant to sleep, when he thought about it. Even Will, who had never been in battle or on a quest, had horrible nightmares more frequently than he'd really like to admit. It was just part of being a demigod. He could hardly imagine what Nico had to relive every time he closed his eyes. He'd been through more by the time he was twelve than most demigods do in a lifetime, and it had only gotten worse from there.   
Naturally, Nico would never admit that was the issue. Will had never met someone who wanted so badly to be independent. Unfortunately, he also knew few people who needed so much help. He decided not to press the issue for now. He'd think of something.   
Will left towards the mess hall to fetch food, hoping there were enough people around and Nico was too distracted to go anywhere. As much as he would like to, he couldn't ask one of his siblings to babysit the sullen son of Hades. Most of them were opposed to having him in the infirmary anyways, just because of who his father was (which made Will want to punch them all in their smug faces), so he was solely Will's responsibility.   
After getting the food, Will stopped just inside the doors of the infirmary, balanced one of the trays of food on his forearm, and pulled open a supply closet. He had to root through a little to find the drug he was looking for, because it wasn't used very often. It was hard to make and not sustainable, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He poured a dose into one of the water glasses, and was relieved when it dissolved completely and stayed clear. It wasn't a permanent solution, but it would work for now.   
Nico was still right where Will had left him, but he'd shifted back to lean back on the pillows and had his arms crossed. He was staring at the wall across from him, but his eyes were unfocused. He didn't respond when Will pulled a chair up next to him and sat down. Will cleared his throat.   
"Nico," Will said softly. Nico didn't react. "Nico," he repeated, louder. Nico jumped. He stared blankly at Will for several seconds, and then blinked a couple of times and his eyes cleared.   
"Oh, hey, you're back," he said. Will wordlessly handed him a tray, which he set on his lap and frowned at. He hesitantly picked up the water and sipped it, but only stared at the food. Will opened his mouth to say something to him, but changed his mind. He couldn't expect a boy so close to starvation to have much of an appetite. That's not how the body works. Instead, he ate his own lunch and tried not to be obvious in monitoring Nico as he picked at his food. Thankfully, he was at least drinking his water. Even under normal circumstances, that's key to regaining physical health. Today, Will was just glad it got the drug in his system. He felt a little guilty about it, but reminded himself it was necessary. It was his job to make sure that his patients were successful in their recovery, and this was the only way to ensure that.   
Nico pushed his tray away and leaned back against the headboard, fidgeting with his skull ring and, Will noted, trying to stifle a yawn. Will picked up the tray, still full of food, and his own nearly empty one to take them back to the dining pavilion for the cleaning harpies. Nico glanced at him as he stood up, but then went back to staring at the wall.   
By the time Will got back, he was asleep.


	3. Possible Side Effects Include.... (Nico)

Nico woke up confused.   
He hasn't planned on sleeping at all, and yet he apparently had. He had no idea for how long or even any memory of falling asleep. He'd gotten pretty good at only sleeping when he was unconscious. It wasn't like he got any rest anyways. All he got were flashbacks to Tartarus. He'd pick exhaustion over that any day.   
He opened his eyes to a very dimly lit room, and it took him a few seconds to regain his bearings at all. He pulled himself to a sitting position. He was in the infirmary, he knew, and there was Will Solace, sitting in a chair next to Nico, reading. Nico couldn't even make out the title because of his dyslexia. He couldn't fathom having the patience to attempt an entire book. Just one more thing to add to the list of reasons Will Solace got on his nerves. He didn't make sense.   
"You drugged me," Nico said, the words leaving his mouth before the realization even registered. Will glanced up at him, folded the corner of his page down, and set the book on a desk.   
"Well, good morning, Sunshine. I see you're in a good mood today," Will said, his eyes sparkling.   
"I told you I wasn't interested in sleeping," Nico said, ignoring Will's sarcasm.   
"And I warned you that it wasn't optional. You're not the first uncooperative patient I've dealt with, di Angelo. I've always got some tricks up my sleeve. Besides, I don't see what the problem was. You literally slept for eighteen hours, which I suspect will do wonders for your general well being, although I wouldn't make a habit of it."  
"Will, you don't get it-" Nico started, but Will cut him off.   
"You should be grateful. I imagine that's the most peaceful night's sleep you've had in years, and yes, I will be taking full credit for it." Will leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head and propping his feet on the foot of Nico's bed. Nico scowled, but then Will's words sunk in and he really thought about it. He didn't have a single nightmare. That was a miracle if he'd ever seen one.   
"Wait, you mean you… the dreams… How did you do that?" Nico asked. "Could you do it again?" As much as he hated asking for help, he could definitely use the respite from the memories.   
"Just a little something Clovis from the Hypnos cabin made for me. Sleep enhancer that also prevents dreams. You can't use it very often, though, or it stops working. Plus if you use it more than once or twice a week you start to get some nasty side effects," Will replied.   
"What kind of side effects?" Nico asked nervously.   
"Oh, you know," Will said, waving his hand vaguely. "But just one dose is completely safe, don't worry about it."  
"Wait, so first you're going to slip me something without telling me, and now you think you can tell me it's safe?" Nico said, incredulous.  
"It was necessary, and anyways, if I'd have told you, would you really have taken it?" Will pointed out.   
"Maybe," Nico lied. Of course he wouldn't have. He didn't need anyone messing with his head. He barely had control over himself as is. The last thing he needed was any more of that being stripped away.   
"Uh huh," Will said. "It doesn't matter now. You took it and it worked. Be mad if you want, but I'm not apologizing." He shrugged.   
"Oh, rest assured, I'm pissed. Now, if you're quite finished…" Nico stood up, walking towards the door.   
"Woah, there, where do you think you're going?" Will said, stepping between Nico and the door.   
"My cabin," Nico said, like it was obvious.   
"Um, the agreement was three days, Nico. It's barely been one," Will said. Nico rolled his eyes.   
"I just need a change of clothes. I'll come back. You need to chill." Nico stepped to the side, trying not to get mad for the second time in ten minutes. He really didn't feel like destroying the infirmary on accident. He'd promised Jason he'd stick around, and that would be a lot easier if he didn't wreck things any worse than he already had.   
"Oh. Right. I assume you know I have to come with you," Will replied.   
"Excuse me?"   
"You're a flight risk, di Angelo. Don't look so surprised. You have a history of randomly disappearing, so I have to make sure you don't."  
"I said I'd come back," Nico said.   
"Yeah? And?" Will crossed his arms.   
Screw this, Nico thought. He shifted into the nearest shadow, which happened to be Will's. He was actually grateful for the extra energy from the sleep.   
"Nico, don't-" Will started, reaching out and grabbing Nico's arm just as Nico shadow travelled himself to the Hades cabin.   
He realized immediately that it had been a terrible idea. He'd been upset and not really thinking, but even if he had been, he assumed it was such a short distance that it wouldn't matter. He was extremely mistaken.   
Some part of him registered that he'd dragged Will with him, but then the lightheadedness kicked it. He dropped to his knees just as his limbs went numb. He could hear Will trying to say something, but couldn't make it out through the roar in his ears. Will tried to touch his shoulder, but his hand went straight through. Through the haze, Nico decided that was probably bad. Then it all went black. 

The next time Nico gained awareness, he was on his feet. His head was still a little fuzzy, but looking around, it didn't take him long to realize he wasn't in the Hades cabin. He was standing in fog thick enough that he couldn't see his feet, or more than a few feet in front of him. The air above him was completely dark.   
Part of him thought it must be a nightmare, but most of those were just recollections by this point, because his mind couldn't possibly create anything more horrifying than what he'd already seen. Besides, this didn't feel like a dream. It was different somehow.   
He wasn't sure how long he stood there, waiting for something to happen. Eventually, either minutes or hours later, a figure stepped out of the fog. Nico stared for a moment, but just as he was about to spin on his heel and run, it took shape.   
"That was incredibly irresponsible of you," Hades said as he regarded Nico. That seemed about right. No Good to see you, Nico. How have you been, Nico? I'm glad you didn't die trying to save the world from the earth goddess, Nico. His father didn't talk like that. Straight to the point, which was usually not in Nico's favor. His dad only seemed to show up when he made bad decisions.   
"Yeah, I know that," Nico snapped. "I figured that out when I passed out, thanks."  
"You need to control your tongue, son," Hades warned. Nico resisted the urge to roll his eyes, reminding himself that he was talking to a god. It was probably better for his health if he didn't make Hades angry.   
"Sorry," he muttered. "I just… I didn't mean to shadow travel again. It just happened."  
"You always get yourself into trouble when you let your emotions get the better of you. It doesn't always work out in the end," the god said.   
"I know," Nico replied, biting back another sarcastic retort.   
"Good. Don't do it again. I want to see you live a while longer." With that, Hades turned and walked away, leaving Nico by himself again.   
Kind words from his dad two encounters in a row? You don't see that very often.


	4. The Secrets I Keep From Me (Will)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a few days, I had to figure out what this chapter even looked like.   
> I think it turned out okay, if a bit choppy, opinions?

Ohgodsohgodsohgods  
Will wasn't quite sure what had just happened, but everything was dark and he felt like he was going to throw up.   
He glanced around, trying to regain his bearings, and was nowhere close to succeeding when he saw Nico dropping to the floor. Reflexively (because he certainly wasn't thinking straight), he reached out to catch him, but his hands went straight through Nico's body. Will stumbled backwards until his back hit the corner of a bedframe.   
Hades cabin. That's where he was. Stupid, stupid Nico had shadow travelled them both across camp. In as terrible condition as the boy had been…   
He was dissolving.   
There was a distinct possibility that he'd never recover.   
There was nothing Will could do to fix it.   
Unless…  
It was dangerous, Will knew. He wasn't even sure he could pull it off; he'd never tried. It was a long shot, for sure… but he had to.   
He knelt next to Nico's flickering form, praying to all the gods, but mostly Apollo. He'd never even met his dad, but if he ever needed a boost from the god of medicine, it was now. He reached towards Nico, holding his hand just over his chest, and closed his eyes. He just needed… if he could feel… there. His pulse. Will focused on that, using it to pull himself closer, just outside of reality.  
Will felt the moment it worked, and immediately hoped he never had to do it again. It was cold, and the world got a few shades darker. It felt wrong; he didn't belong there. He just needed to help Nico and leave.   
He pulled out his medical bag, which he'd carried on him at all times since the Titan war. He dug through it, searching for anything that might help. Unfortunately, the only medical journal he had that referenced a similar case was in ancient Greek. Most demigods could read it, but Will was useless and hadn't decoded very far yet. He had no idea what to do.   
All he could think was to try and get some nectar in his system. He hoped that, between that and the rest Nico had gotten, he'd make it out of this one.   
Will sat for a long time, he wasn't sure how long, just reading Nico's pulse. It was jumpy and erratic, but a comfort nonetheless. He wasn't dead. That was all Will had to focus on, because as much as he hated to admit it, there was a part of him that really cared for Nico. Sometimes he wished he didn't, because the boy seemed intent on getting himself killed, but Will couldn't help it. As strange as it was, Nico was his friend and his patient, in that order, and Will couldn't live with himself if Nico died on his watch.   
Gradually, Nico's pulse steadied, and then his eyes flickered open. Will sighed in relief, and all of the exhaustion from the magic he'd used to even be able to reach Nico hit him at once. Before Nico had even sat up all the way, Will passed out. 

Will dreamed about the Titan War.   
He was in some building in Manhattan, healing demigod after demigod. He barely even paid attention to faces anymore. There wasn't time. He couldn't let himself think about who all he'd saved, or who he'd failed to. He'd already watched too many campers die, and there wasn't time to mourn. The battle wasn't over yet.   
Will was ushered out the door by a small group of campers; there were wounded on the streets who needed help. Right away. He had to hurry.  
They ducked through streets, cut through buildings, Will barely remembered. It was all a blur. Occasionally they'd pass fallen campers on the street, too late to help them, and Will thought he would puke.   
They started passing monsters far too soon, and Will had to stand out of the way while the others killed them. He couldn't even do anything to help them. They protected him like he was something delicate, because he was.   
Slowly, as they neared the center of the battle, Will's group peeled off to fight, leaving him to get the rest of the way by himself. Twice, a random camper stepped in front of him and saved his life. He stopped to wrap wounds and share ambrosia more times than he could count.   
He was sprinting towards yet another injured demigod on the ground when a cyclops stepped in front of him. He wheeled around to go around, find another way, but there was one of those snake ladies… he didn't remember what they were called, monster classes were never his favorite; to his left a telekhine, behind him another cyclops, and to the right, a brick wall. He'd gotten himself surrounded.   
He wasn't panicking. A part of him expected he'd die today anyways. He pulled out a celestial bronze knife he carried on him, figuring he might as well die trying. The telekhine moved towards him, and he backed up, but his foot hit a rock and he stumbled, falling flat on his back and losing his knife in the process.   
The beasts all stopped to look at him, as if they couldn't believe what a sorry excuse for a demigod he was, either. Will wracked his brain for any plan or battle strategy or anything, but before he had any sort of ideas, the monsters all dissolved into dust. It flew into Will's face and he coughed, wiping at his eyes. A hand reached down towards him, and instinctively, he grabbed it. He was pulled to his feet, and the boy in front of him handed his knife back.   
"You alright?" he asked, with just a hint of judgement in his tone. Will looked up at him and... my gods, was that really Nico di Angelo? Will had heard the stories, and even though they hadn't actually met, he'd been a little scared of the son of Hades. But, if he was being honest… well, the thing is, none of the horror stories had prepared him for Nico being cute. Not that it mattered, but it was distracting.   
"I, uh, not really, no. Thanks, though," Will said with a shrug, trying to hide his embarrassment. Here he was, in the middle of a battleground, and he'd been disarmed by a rock.   
"What are you doing out here? You don't seem like much of a fighter," Nico noticed. Will didn't even have a chance to respond before Nico quickly shoved him out of the way before whatever had been coming up behind Will had a chance to strike. Will hadn't even noticed. Some demigod he was.   
"I'm not," Will admitted. "I'm a healer, and most of the wounded can't get to me, so I had to come find them."   
"Oh," Nico said. "Undefended? That's dumb." Will shrugged. They couldn't exactly spare the manpower to protect one lousy kid. "Here, I can fix that."  
He sent Will on his way with a miniature skeletal guard that he wasn't sure he wanted. It was a little freaky at first, but they seemed to be invincible, and Nico never knew just how many times he saved Will's life that day.   
He also never knew how Will couldn't stop thinking about the encounter for weeks afterwards, when he was too nervous to approach Nico when he was at the Hades table by himself, or practicing swordsmanship with the Ares kids, or whatever else he did. Nico had no idea that Will was usually the first to notice he was gone when he disappeared for a few days at a time. Or how much Will missed him when he left to search for Percy Jackson, even though they barely knew each other. Will hoped nobody ever found out, because the last thing he would ever admit was how hard he was crushing on Nico di Angelo.


	5. It All Must Go Wrong (Nico)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm posting two chapters in a day, I know.  
> Don't get used to it. It just happened.  
> Hope you like this one, it was mostly written in a marathon like setting.  
> Leave a comment, I'm lonely.

Nico wasn't sure how he'd gotten to the Apollo cabin.  
He vaguely remembered waking up in a panic. He was pretty sure the first person he found had been Jason… or was it Annabeth? They'd moved Will back to his cabin. It had only been a couple of hours, but he hadn't woken up yet. Nico was exhausted, which was stupid, because he'd been unconscious for who knows how long. It didn't matter. He wasn't sleeping until he was sure he hadn't hurt Will. He couldn't live with himself if he hurt Will.  
He rested his head on his arms on the edge of Will's bed, where he could still see his face. He'd know the minute Will woke up, and then he could stop feeling guilty and get on with his life. It was his fault and now Will wasn't working in the infirmary and what if he died and who was there to blame but Nico? He tried to get himself to stop, that was ridiculous. Will had only been asleep for a few hours. Demigods always need to rest after using their godly powers.  
Of course, Will wouldn't have had to use the powers if Nico hadn't shadow travelled again…  
Nico hated thought spirals. They made it impossible to blame anyone but himself. His life would be a lot easier if everything wasn't his fault.  
It was so hard to keep his eyes open. The irony of it almost made him laugh; when Will woke up, the first thing he would do was lecture Nico about his sleep schedule or whatever. 'You have to take care of yourself, di Angelo.'  
On top of it all, his head hurt, and so did those werewolf scratches on his arm. Reyna had stitched them up the best she could, but it wasn't great. He'd probably have to tell Will about that sooner or later. He had been avoiding it, knowing Will would be upset that he hadn't said anything sooner, but it had been stinging a lot lately.  
Will mumbled something in his sleep, but Nico couldn't quite make it out. He didn't care, anyways, right? The only reason he was even here was because he was the reason Will was unconscious. As soon as his conscience was cleared, he'd be free of all emotional obligations.  
Right?

Nico's eyes flew open. He'd promised himself he wouldn't fall asleep.  
Will was awake and sitting up. The cabin was dim, other than some sort of light Will was using to read his book again. Nico hesitantly lifted his head off the bed, biting back a groan as his headache returned in full force. Will glanced up at him and grinned- gods, did he have to be so happy all the time? How did he find the energy?  
"Hey, you're up. Good. I was trying to decide whether I'd have to wake you or if you'd just have to stay the night here, because curfew is in like half an hour," Will said, folding down the corner of his page and closing the book.  
"Your hand is glowing," Nico said dumbly. His brain was processing a little slowly so soon after waking up, but there was no way he was hallucinating that. The light was literally just coming from Will's hand.  
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. It got dark, and this was easier than actually getting up." Will shrugged.  
"But… it just… does that?" Nico's eyebrows scrunched up.  
"I mean, yes. Another thing to add to my list of 'Powers Will Can't Use In A Fight.' Its practically a novel," Will replied.  
"If you made it bright enough, you probably could," Nico figured. "It'd work better than your pathetic attempts at using weapons."  
"Hey! That's rude. You might be right, though…"  
"About you being useless with weapons? I know I am. I've seen you try."  
"No, the light thing. Almost like a flash grenade, you know?" Will said.  
Nico nodded lazily, fighting off a yawn. He had literally just woken up, but he was ready to go back to bed.  
Will pulled himself to his feet and offered a hand to Nico. Nico didn't want to accept his help and make himself look weak, but he was exhausted and didn't think he could get up on his own. He let Will pull him to his feet, only swaying a little bit. He wasn't sure what the issue was lately. Usually, he could make it a long way with no sleep at all, but these past couple days he'd been asleep more than he'd been awake. He was really sick of it, honestly. He wasn't sure what he'd rather be doing, but he knew he wanted to be doing something.  
For now, all he could think to do was follow Will out of the Apollo cabin. They passed one of Will's sisters going in, but she pointedly ignored them. Will glared at her back, although Nico didn't see the point. It's not like Will could force everybody to like him. Nico just wasn't likeable. That's just how it was. It wasn't going to change anytime soon.  
"Ugh, are you still around?" a girl said behind him. "I assumed you'd got the message."  
Nico slowly turned to face her, clenching his fists. He didn't feel like dealing with this right now.  
Drew Tanaka stood, examining her nails, flanked by a couple of other Aphrodite girls. Nico hadn't had any issues with her specifically before, but that was mostly because he'd avoided her. He tried to avoid associating with Aphrodite kids in general, because he was always scared they'd know about him. He didn't need people knowing.  
"I really thought you'd have seen the cue to leave after Percy rejected you. Kind of got my hopes up, to be honest. The smell of death clashes with my perfume." The girls behind her snickered, and Nico could feel his face heating up. Drew looked up at him and raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow.  
"He's got just as much a right to be here as anyone, Drew. Leave him alone," Will interjected, stepping forward. Drew just laughed.  
"Sure, I'll get right on that. Tell me, Solace, do you have a cure for heartbreak? Maybe you should ask your little friend here what's really bothering him," she said, before spinning on her heel and sashaying back to her own cabin.  
Will glanced at Nico, but Nico stared at his shoes. He was sure Will could read everything in his face. How naive of him, thinking that maybe he could belong here, or have a friend or two. Of course not. His life couldn't go well. The universe would never allow that.  
Nico didn't want to face Will, or the questions and the judgement he was sure he'd find, so he started walking towards his own cabin.  
"Nico, where are you going?" Will caught up with him easily, and Nico hid a sigh. "You owe me at least another day, maybe more after that debacle this morning," Will said. Nico was silent. "Look, Nico, just ignore her. Without you, she'd probably be dead anyways, so you have all the power, right?" When Nico still didn't respond, Will sighed and grabbed his arm to stop him.  
"Nico, I get that you're frustrated, but you know I can't just let you run off."  
"I'm just grabbing some things, Solace. Chill out. I'm fine," Nico said, brushing Will's hand away.  
"Yeah, I've heard that before," Will muttered. Nico was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to hear that, so he ignored it.  
Just a few days, di Angelo. A little bit of rest to ease Will's mind, and then you can leave. Just a few days.


	6. How To Cure a Broken Heart (Will)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleep is for the weak.  
> If I die because I forget to eat/sleep/exist when writing, will y'all come to my funeral?  
> No, but really, three chapters today. This is ruining me.

Percy Jackson.   
Go figure.   
There was a demigod with all of it. The prophecy, the power, the fame, the girl. He was everything Will wasn't, so for years, Will had alternated between admiring him and hating him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Will was definitely leaning towards hate at the moment.   
He tried to convince himself that was stupid. If Percy was Nico's type, its not like Will would have a chance anyway. It's not like its Percy's fault.   
There was the rational part of him that knew Drew could have just been digging at Nico. She had a tendency to say whatever she thought would stick.   
But if that's what it was, wouldn't she have mentioned Annabeth instead? Will had done his best to ignore the rumors, but even he knew that most of the camp assumed Nico was crushing on her. Nobody had ever entertained the idea that it might have been Percy all along.   
Besides, Will had seen his face. Nico wouldn't have gotten so rattled over something random. Clearly, Drew had met her mark, which meant she had to be right.   
Part of Will wanted to tell him his odds were better. At least he's not straight.   
But that's dumb. Will was closer to being a girl than he was to being Percy Jackson.   
It didn't matter anyway. Nico was incredibly unstable, and Will's first responsibilities were as his doctor and his friend. He needed both of those first and foremost. That was all Will needed to worry about.   
Nico had stumbled through the shower, gotten clean clothes, and fallen asleep in seconds once Will got him back to the infirmary. Now Will was back in the Apollo cabin, but he was farther from sleep than ever. He was sitting up with his fingertips lit, but his book was sitting on his lap, still closed. He didn't feel like opening it.   
Will felt his mattress dip beside him, but it barely registered.   
"Jenna's going home tomorrow," Austin said. Will nodded distractedly. "And I think Caleb, too. Most of the cabin will be gone by the end of the week."  
The battle with Gaea had stretched into September, making it dangerous to leave the camp borders to go home. Now that it was over, most of the campers would be leaving until the next summer.   
"Kayla's staying, I think, and so am I, obviously," Austin continued. His mom had died when he was little, so he'd been a year-round camper for years. "What about you? You going home this year?"  
Will usually went back to stay with his mom during the year. This year, he wasn't so sure. He could remember when she used to be an up-and-coming country singer, the kind of woman everyone wanted to be. They'd been happy. Gradually, though, when Naomi Solace failed to get famous fast enough, she started drinking, and nothing Will did could get her to stop. He hated seeing her slowly break down and being unable to fix it. He didn't think he could do another year of that, especially when there was so much for him to do here. He was needed. There were still patients, and who knew what would come up later. Austin and Kayla could heal little things well enough, but if Paolo lost his arms in capture the flag again, or the Nike kids went a little too far this time and something got broken… well, Will was the only one who could really do anything for them.   
He tried to pretend his decision wasn't so heavily based on Nico. He'd said he'd be staying at camp, and it was obvious that not everyone was a fan of that. He'd need someone on his side. Will finally had the chance to help him. He wasn't going to miss it.   
"I think I'm staying this year," Will said.   
Austin stayed silent, clearly waiting for him to say more, but he didn't.   
"You alright, man? You seem a little… I don't know. Off," Austin said.   
"What? Yeah, I'm fine," Will replied distantly. His head was in so many different places.   
"It's that di Angelo boy, isn't it? He's messing with your head," Austin guessed. Will held back a laugh. He had no idea.  
"Its nothing. I'm fine. Nico's just another patient, Austin. Just because the rest of you get all freaked out doesn't mean I do. He's just another demigod," Will said defensively.   
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I wasn't one of the ones trying to boot him. All I'm saying is the kids got issues, Will. You've got your work cut out for you. I've never seen PTSD so bad," Austin remarked.   
"That's not even the half of it. I'm not sure what I'd do for him if he wanted my help. As it is, I don't even think I can tackle the mental issues when he's making it so hard to keep him alive," Will said.   
"Mm. Well, if you need help, let me know, man," Austin said, pushing himself to his feet.   
"Will do," Will replied.   
He did need help with Nico, that was for sure. Somehow, he doubted that was what Austin had in mind.


	7. Disappointment is a State of Being (Nico)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry sorry sorry  
> As much as you hate me I hate myself more it's been f o r e v e r  
> And, to reward your patience... a mediocre chapter! Aren't you excited?

Nico wasn't even aware he was awake until the headache set in. He certainly didn't want to be, not if this was the price he was paying for it. His eyes flickered open, but the light hitting them felt like being stabbed. Nico was more familiar with the sensation than he'd like to be.   
He heard voices around him, so he forced himself to open his eyes again. He really didn't want to be caught off guard.   
He'd just found enough energy to push himself into a sitting position when Will made it over to his little corner.   
"Morning, Nico!" Will said cheerfully. Nico really hated him in the mornings. He was such a morning person, whereas Nico could barely function before noon. He always told people that no, he wasn't a vampire, (yes, he did get asked that; it was awful) but sometimes he'd step into a patch of sunlight and wonder.   
Without a word, he offered his wrist to Will. Will placed his fingers on Nico's wrist for a few moments.   
"Not too bad, all things considered. You need to eat something, for sure, and I still think any more Underworld magic would kill you, of course. Are you feeling alright?"  
"I mean, my head hurts," Nico replied, "and so does my arm, but that's normal." Will raised an eyebrow, and Nico remembered he hadn't mentioned his scratches yet. Oops.   
"Your arm? What's wrong with your arm?" Will asked. Nico sighed.   
"It's nothing. I'm fine," Nico said, but Will slowly shook his head.   
"Nuh uh. Too late for that. You're hiding an injury of some kind, aren't you?" Will said, and Nico nodded reluctantly. "Let me see it, then."  
Nico hesitated, but he'd already screwed it up. He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, and he heard Will hiss. Apparently it was every bit as bad as he remembered.   
"Gods, Nico, what'd you do? Those stitches are horrible, and I think its infected," Will said.   
"Um, yeah, that was a werewolf," Nico said. Will's eyes widened. "It just scratched me. Chill."  
"You want me to chill? Believe me, I have no intention of chilling. You can't just do this, Nico," Will insisted. Nico shrugged.   
"I'll be fine," Nico said. Will shook his head emphatically.   
"No, you won't, not unless I do something about it. I need to remove the stitches and probably drain it, and then it needs to be dressed properly. We're handling this the right way," Will said.   
Nico rolled his eyes. "I dealt with injuries like that by myself, in the Labyrinth, when I was eleven. It's not even a big deal," he muttered  
"Was that year a high point in your life, then? You're not on your own anymore. I'm fixing this, and you're going to let me," Will said. Nico sighed dramatically, but gave in.   
He was hoping that letting Will deal with the wound would make it hurt less, but the poking and prodding required just seemed to make it worse. He didn't say anything, though, just sat there until Will pressed a bandage into place and declared it done. Nico rolled his shoulders.   
"Great, can I go now?" He slid himself towards the edge of the bed, but Will pushed him back.   
"Are you insane? Even if yesterday counted- which it doesn't- you'd owe me one more day. Sit down, I'm going to go track down breakfast. Don't go anywhere," Will stressed. Nico rolled his eyes, but nodded. Will seemed less than reassured, but he left anyways, in his obnoxious habit of actually wanting Nico to eat. Nico was really sick of that.   
Will had barely left the room when there was a knock on the wall next to the curtain separating Nico from the rest of the infirmary. Nico glanced up, scowling, as Jason stepped in and perched on the edge of a chair.   
"Hey, Nico. You doing alright?" he asked. Nico rolled his eyes.   
"Yep, I'm fine, everything's fine. If you need to worry about anyone, it's Solace, because if I have to stay here much longer I'm going to kill him," Nico said. Jason laughed.   
"He really does mean well, you know," he pointed out.   
"I don't care if he means well. He's obnoxious," Nico insisted.   
"Sometimes. He's just trying to help," Jason said.   
Nico sighed. "I know," he said resignedly. "I just never asked for him to."  
"You know, you could always try being nicer," Jason said. "People tend to be less annoying when they don't expect you to get upset."  
"But I do get upset. Besides, if I'm nice to him, he'll think he won. I can't do that," Nico replied.   
Jason snorted. "If that's how you want to live your life. Look, Nico, there's actually something I need to talk to you about."  
Here it comes, Nico thought. Every time he trusts someone…   
"I… um… here's the thing," Jason said. Nico's brow furrowed. Jason wasn't one to stumble over words. Nico was starting to get very concerned.   
"I've been talking with Annabeth about the minor gods- remember that promise I made to Kymopoleia? And I we've got a good plan here, but I haven't even started at Camp Jupiter, and then Piper wants to see her dad, so... "  
"You're leaving," Nico said coldly. Eventually, he'd get used to it. He didn't get the luxury of friends who stuck around longer than a week or two. It didn't happen.   
"I'm really sorry, Nico. We were going to hang this year, and I was stoked about it, but I have to keep my promise."  
"Yeah, I know," Nico said, trying not to sound as dejected as he felt. He had limited success. "Get some hot chocolate in New Rome for me, kay?"  
Jason nodded, his lips pursed. "I really am sorry. I didn't want to do this to you."  
"Its fine. I've gotta branch out, right? Make new friends or whatever?" Nico shrugged. "I'll figure it out. Don't worry about me."  
"Right," Jason agreed. "I'll be back, though. Next summer at the absolute latest."   
"Naturally. You can't ignore us forever."  
"Sometimes, I sure would like to," Jason said, and Nico snorted.   
It wasn't until after Jason left that he dropped his face into his hands.   
Why had he ever agreed to stay at camp?


	8. No Sad Faces in the Infirmary (Will)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special bonus chapter to make up for the mini-break!  
> Let's pretend I don't usually post back to back that way it feels special.

Will really wished Nico would stop sulking; it made it difficult to focus on other patients.   
Nico had been back to his sarcastic contrary self that morning, but something must have happened while Will was getting breakfast, because he'd basically shut down. Of course, he would never tell Will what was going on. He'd just sit there and stare at the wall, like he'd been doing all day. He'd barely touched the lunch or dinner Will had brought him, but with Nico so unresponsive, Will had decided not to push it.   
Will was trying to replace the dressing on his other patient's eye, but it required most of his attention, and his eyes kept wandering back to the son of Hades. Will felt bad for the girl, because she deserved to be treated, too, and she even wanted help. He hadn't had to practically drag her in there, like he did with Nico.   
Will finally managed to finish treating her and send her back to the Aphrodite cabin. Most of his patients were doing well enough that they didn't have to stay overnight. The only exceptions were Nico, obviously, and Julian, a son of Hephaestus who Will wasn't completely sure what to do for. He had extensive injuries pretty much everywhere, and could barely move even so long after the battle. Will was giving him ambrosia twice a day, and keeping the wounds clean, but other than that, he wasn't sure. It seemed to be working okay for now, but time would tell how much scarring would remain.   
He went back to check in on Nico one last time before heading back to his cabin.   
"Hey," he said softly. Nico glanced at him, but didn't respond. "You doing okay?"  
Nico shrugged. Will frowned, but didn't know what he could do. He supposed he'd just have to hope it was better in the morning, whatever it was.   
"Well, um, night, then, I guess," Will mumbled.   
"Night," Nico replied crisply, and looked away. Will bit back a sigh.   
Back in his cabin, he sat on the edge of his bed, chewing on his lip. He should have been focusing on his other patients, the ones with treatable injuries that were accepting help, but he couldn't get his mind off of Nico di Angelo.   
He was exhausted, so his thoughts were barely coherent, and he certainly couldn't make sense of them. He just knew they were all revolving around one moody dark-eyed boy that he couldn't quite reach.   
"Dude, you gotta stop doing this," Austin said, the mattress buckling as he sank down next to Will.   
"Doing what?" Will asked.   
"I don't know. Whatever you're doing. You haven't even slept in, like, two days," Austin replied. Will didn't respond at first, but Austin nudged him with his shoulder, jerking him back to the present.   
"I know, I know, I'm just…" Will trailed off. He didn't even know what was wrong with him. Not exactly. He had some idea, and he hated it, so he was actively involved in pretending he didn't.   
"Doing drugs?" Austin suggested.  
"No! Do I need to tell you about the health hazards-"  
"What, then? You're usually put together, but you're kind of a wreck, and its scaring me a little," Austin said.   
"I'm crushing on Nico di Angelo," Will blurted.   
"What?" Austin asked incredulously.   
"I mean, I have been since the Battle of Manhattan, and we were only, like, twelve, but it's only gotten worse lately and he needs my help but I don't know what I can do for him, especially when I'm so emotionally involved-"  
"Time out," Austin cut in, holding up a T with his hands. "Is this why you wouldn't let me set you up with that pretty girl from the Hermes cabin last year?"   
"I mean, kind of. I just wasn't… what does that have to do with anything, anyways?" Will asked.   
"Fair point. I mean… Death Boy, really? That's your type?"  
"I guess. It wasn't really a conscious thing, okay, Austin? It just sort of happened." Will shrugged. Austin let out a low whistle.   
"All those years, and I never realized my brother was gay. It's like I don't know you at all."  
"Look, are you going to help me or not?"   
"Well, duh. First I've gotta figure out how, but we'll get there." Austin pushed himself to his feet. "Get some sleep, Will."  
He walked away, and Will flopped onto his back. Sleep would definitely help. Nothing ever looked so unmanageable in the sunlight.


	9. To Keep The Darkness At Bay (Nico)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm not dead!  
> Really sorry about the wait for this one, school started back up and it's KILLING me. I'll try to update more frequently, but no promises. As always, enjoy!

Nico bolted upright, panic clouding his thoughts. His breathing quickened as he felt the air around him, sure the walls were closing in around him. He was running out of air, he was suffocating. It was Tartarus, it was the jar, it was an endless expanse of darkness, darkness that wanted him dead. He couldn't win, couldn't escape, couldn't survive. Not this time.   
A door creaked, footsteps sounded, and Nico's pulse skyrocketed. He shuffled backwards, trying to get away, and he fell. No, not again, not the pit… but he hit the ground.   
"Nico?" Nico froze. They always knew his name. It's always personal. It was dark, and he hated it, but maybe it wouldn't see him…  
"Nico, are you okay?" A light flared to life next to him, revealing a crouching figure. Nico tried to speak, tried to move, but it was like he was paralyzed. Then it registered: that was Will? Why was he here? He would get hurt.  
"Why… what are you…" Nico couldn't get the words out; he could barely breathe. He reached out to where Will's hand was glowing softly in the darkness, unsure if it was real. Their palms connected, and Will frowned quizzically.   
"Hey, it's okay. Calm down. You're okay. Look," Will said, slow and steady. His other hand lit up, and he waved it around a bit. Nico saw the infirmary, but he couldn't believe it. Surely he was still… somewhere else, right? But no. There couldn't be that kind of light in Tartarus. It'd be dead.   
Nico shook his head and buried his face in Will's shoulder. He wasn't alone, and he wasn't in the dark. That was all he could focus on, and it still took all of is effort to believe it. He was so tired, but he couldn't sleep again. The darkness would come back.   
"Just breathe, Nico. Should we get off the floor, do you think?" Will's voice was quiet and reassuring. It took a moment for Nico to even register what he said, but he nodded because it seemed like the right answer, even though he didn't want to move. He was afraid if he moved, Will would disappear and he'd be in the dark again. But Will stood, pulling Nico with him, and Nico sat on the edge of his bed. He tried to slow his breathing down, tried to convince himself he was okay, but panic is a hard thing to kill. It just kept coming back. He focused on the light from Will's hands, and gradually, was able to breathe again.   
"Will?" he asked tentatively.   
"Yeah?" Will responded, tilting his head.   
"Can you… I mean… I don't…" Nico stumbled just trying to form one sentence, but Will seemed to understand.   
"I won't go anywhere," he said, sitting on the chair next to Nico. "Try and get some more sleep, okay?"   
Nico nodded, laying back. The last thing he noticed before he drifted off was Will's freckles glowing like miniature stars.

It was still dark when Nico woke up the next time. He hadn't had any more dreams. He supposed the Fates had decided one nightmare-induced panic attack was enough for a night. He sat up groggily, glancing around the infirmary. Will was still sitting in the chair where he had been earlier, both hands lit up, a book open on his lap. Nico immediately felt guilty; Will obviously hadn't slept. Nico wasn't entirely sure how he'd even ended up in the infirmary in the first place, but it was definitely Nico's fault.   
"Did you know your freckles glow?" Nico commented Will looked up at him and brought a hand to his face self consciously. "It's…" Nico stopped. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd been about to say… No, that's a lie. He'd been about to say it was cute. He had no idea where the thought had come from, and he was immediately mad at himself for it. He'd promised himself he wouldn't do this. Not again. He'd made enough of a mess of himself with Percy. One would think he'd learned his lesson, but…   
"It's what?" Will asked.   
"Nothing," Nico replied quickly. Too quickly. He was screwing it all up already. Will didn't seem to notice; he just shrugged. "What time is it?"  
"Probably six, maybe a little before," Will said.   
"Ugh," Nico complained. "That's, like, four hours earlier than I should ever be conscious."  
Will laughed. "Does that mean you've never seen the sunrise from the beach?"  
"Um, no."  
"Seriously? Come on, we're taking a field trip," Will said, standing up and offering Nico a hand.   
"Are you crazy? We'll get eaten by harpies!" Nico said.   
"Nah, it'll be fine. They don't bother me, and they'd probably be scared of you."  
"This is a terrible idea," Nico grumbled, but he let Will pull him to his feet anyways.


	10. A Pill That's Hard To Swallow (Will)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you might have noticed (if anybody's even reading this anymore), my plan to update frequently kind of fell through. I'm not making any more promises. I'll update when I update and hope y'all can be patient with me.   
> I'm also doing some character research (fancy talk for "rereading from PJO-TOA from start to finish), so that's happening.   
> As always, enjoy the chapter!

Will pulled Nico out of the infirmary and down towards the beach. They didn't see any harpies, much less get eaten. They made it to the edge of the ocean just as the edge of the horizon was tinged with red. Will sat down on the sand, kicking off his flip flops and stretching his legs out until his feet were on the edge of the surf. Nico hesitated, but sat next to him, pulling his knees up to his chest.   
They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Will glanced over at Nico. Nico's eyes were wide, his expression awestruck. Never mind how beautiful the sunrise was; Will could have watched him all day. But then Nico glanced nervously over towards the woods, and back at camp, as if he thought something was going to jump out at them. Will's brow creased.   
"Are you okay?" he asked. Nico jumped, and then he pursed his lips.   
"Yeah, I just…" He glanced back at the woods again.   
"The war's over, Nico. Nothing's coming this time," Will said gently.   
"I know that. It's just…" Nico shook his head. "I don't get to be happy," he said quietly.  
Will didn't have words ready to respond to that. His gut told him to deny it, but he knew Nico wouldn't accept that. He'd been through way too much to take reassurances like that.   
"What if you could?" Will asked.   
"What?"  
"What if you did get to be happy this time? What would that look like?"   
Nico paused before responding. "I guess… I'd want to really see things, I think. Stuff like this," he said, gesturing at the sky. "I don't… I don't remember my childhood or anything. The earliest memories I really have are being attacked by that manticore, and then Bianca died." He sighed. "I just want to live, you know? Without having to worry about anything chasing me."  
"Then do it," Will said. "Start right now."  
"I can't just do that, Will," Nico protested.   
"Why not?"  
"It just doesn't work. It doesn't happen for me."   
"That's because you haven't had the chance yet. Between Kronos, and then Gaea, you haven't gotten a break," Will pointed out.  
"And what makes you think I get one now?" Nico asked.  
"History, stupid. Haven't you done any reading?" Will said.   
"Uh, no. I learned to read in Italian, not English, and besides, I'm dyslexic," Nico retorted.   
"Oh. Right. Well, it's on a cycle. The Titans, and then the giants, and now there'll be a bit of a gap before a few monsters show up again, but that's not your problem. You can leave that for the younger demigods who haven't already sacrificed pretty much everything."  
"You really think I'm going to be able to just chill all of a sudden? That's incredibly optimistic of you."   
"Look, Nico. I'm not sure there's any demigod who has thrown themselves into as many awful situations as you have. Nobody is going to ask you to do anything else," Will said.   
"That doesn't mean I can just sit down and let everyone else do it!" Nico exclaimed.  
"That's exactly what it means! You need a break, di Angelo, and by gods, you're going to get one."  
Nico scowled, but he didn't respond. Will was learning you couldn't really win with him, but that seemed to be pretty close.   
A few moments later, when the sun had crept up above the horizon and the last of the pink had faded, Will reluctantly got to his feet..  
"I think I should probably be back to the infirmary before Kayla gets there," he said, offering a hand to Nico. He pulled Nico to his feet and Nico started back towards the infirmary without a word. Will paused.   
"Thanks, Dad," he murmured, and then turned to follow Nico. 

Kayla was already in the infirmary when they got there. She glanced up from the papers she'd been shuffling through and eyed the two of them. Will swore under his breath. Something in her eyes made Will think she'd been talking to Austin, so that was a conversation he'd probably be having soon.   
"I'll just…" Nico tilted his head towards his corner of the infirmary, and Will nodded absentmindedly.   
"Actually, wait," Will called. "Um, if you have any stuff out, you should probably pack that up."  
"Wait, I get to leave?" Nico asked.   
Will shrugged. "It's day four, and you seem fine. Well, mostly. I'll be checking in, naturally, and I'll definitely need to take another look at your shoulder before you leave, but I think that's it."  
"Oh. Um, okay, I guess," Nico said uncertainly. He hesitated as if he was going to say something, but instead just walked away.   
Will glanced around and Kayla caught his eye. She beckoned for him, and he cringed, but walked over to her anyway.  
"You've got some explaining to do, Will," she said as she tossed the stack of papers on a table.   
"Um… about what?" Will said innocently, but she just raised an eyebrow. He sighed.   
"You've been all spacey the past couple of days, but I figured, whatever, you've had a long week. I even shrugged off when you left the cabin in the middle of the night. It's just the doctor tingle or whatever. It happens. But now you're walking in at six in the morning with the Hades kid-"  
"His name is Nico," Will cut in.   
"Whatever. That's not the point! The point is, he's a bad influence. He doesn't even need to be here. He's fine," Kayla said.   
"He's really not," Will insisted. "Have you even read the files?"   
Kayla sighed. "Will, I'm dyslexic and your handwriting is terrible. I can't read the files."   
"Oh, yeah. Well, you wouldn't know, since you refuse to get anywhere near him, but he's kind of a mess. He's got a pretty nasty cut on his arm that got infected, a bunch of weird symptoms from the overuse of his powers on the battle, and he's insanely malnourished. And don't even get me started on his mental health-"  
"Listen, Will. I get that you have no self control, like, at all, but you have to prioritize. You've got other patients who aren't going to break you."  
"He's not going to break me!" Will exclaimed. "You can't just judge him based on who his dad is. That's not fair."   
"Have you even looked at him? He's so…" Kayla waved her hands around, as if trying to pluck a word out of the air. "He's just wrong."  
"Do you really think you could have lived half the life he has and came out unscathed?" Will asked.   
Kayla just shook her head slowly. "Whatever, Will. Just… do what you want, I guess. Don't say I didn't warn you." She shrugged and walked away.


	11. If You're Gonna Fall, Do It Hard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead, neither is my fic, blah blah blah.   
> As always, my apologies, and it probably won't get better.   
> Here, have some bickering to make up for it.

Nico knew he should be glad to be out of the infirmary. He was supposed to hate it. And he did… sort of. So why did the idea of leaving depress him so much?   
It was just nice to have someone care. Will Solace was incredibly annoying, sure, but he didn't treat Nico like a freak. And, even though Nico would never admit it out loud, he was probably right about the shadow travel thing, and the food thing, and the werewolf cut, and… whatever else. Not that Nico would accept any blame for it. He definitely had a good reason for all of those things.   
There was one thing that Will was definitely wrong about, though. Nico could never really belong here. People kept trying to convince him that it could get better, but he was still the son of Hades. Say what you will about acceptance and change and everything, he and his father both would always be unsettling. You can't keep people from being scared of things that are different. That's just how it worked.   
Nico didn't really have much of a plan. He didn't really want to stay at camp, especially since Jason left, but it's not like he fit better anywhere else. Besides, if he went anywhere, he had no doubt that Will would get mad and track him down, and he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with that.   
He didn't really have anything to pack. He had a couple of extra sets of clothes in a backpack, but he'd only been here a few days. It wasn't like he'd gotten very spread out.   
Nico glanced up, looking around for Will, and saw him talking to one of his sisters. Nico didn't know all of the Apollo kids; there were way too many of them, and he wasn't around all that often. They both looked pretty upset, but they were too far away for Nico to hear what they were saying. A voice in his head told him it was probably his fault, but he dismissed it as paranoia. He hadn't even done anything.   
After a few minutes, the girl stalked off. Will stood still for a few seconds, but then turned back in Nico's direction. Nico hurriedly looked away, hoping it didn't look like he'd been watching (never mind that he had been). Will didn't seem to notice.   
"Sorry about that," Will said when he reached Nico. Nico wanted to ask what had happened, but instead he just shrugged. The last thing he needed was to upset Will even more by prying.   
"I just need to check your shoulder and get some vitals. And… um…" Will hesitated.   
"Out with it, Solace," Nico said.   
"Is there any chance I could get a blood sample?"  
"A what now?"   
"Please?" Will pleaded. "Just for the sake of record keeping? In all the medical journals we've got, there aren't any cases like yours."  
"No. No way."  
"Oh, come on," Will said.  
"I try not to let people stab me with things." Nico replied.   
"But, Nico…" Will made puppy dog eyes and stuck his lower lip out in a pout. Gods, he was cute. No, no, no, wait. Nico really needed to stop thinking that way. He's annoying and pushy and you don't want him to poke you with a needle. Even so, Nico felt himself caving.   
"Fine. Whatever." Nico rolled his eyes, but Will grinned, a little bit of sparkle dancing in his eyes, and- gods, he wasn't making this easy.   
"Awesome. Before that, though, how's your shoulder feeling?'" Will asked.   
Nico shrugged. "It's fine."   
"Is it really, or are you just trying to get me to leave you alone about it? Because, um, I'm not going to, so it'd be easier if you just didn't."   
"It's actually fine, and you should know that you're always welcome to change your mind and leave me alone. I wouldn't mind," Nico replied. Will laughed.   
"I'll keep that in mind, sunshine."   
Nico glared at him. "Don't call me that."   
"Sure, whatever you want, Death Boy," Will said, smirking.   
"Not that one either. It's like you want me to stab you."   
"Aw, you wouldn't."  
"Wanna bet?"  
"You talk a big game, di Angelo, but I'm not scared of you. Now, roll up your sleeve so I can see your scratches."   
"I said I was fine," Nico grumbled, but he obliged anyway. Will's smile faded as he gently unwrapped the bandages from Nico's arm. Nico could see the tension in his face, probably left over from his argument with his sister. It was really jarring, since Nico had gotten used to him being in an obnoxiously good mood all the time. Which was incredibly annoying, of course. It wasn't like Nico could ever appreciate it, because everything was always so dark in his own life and maybe a little sunshine was okay. It'd be utterly ridiculous for Nico to be anything but aggravated by Will's optimism and generally joyful attitude. Obviously.   
Will rolled the bandage into a ball and tossed it towards a trash can across the room. As much as he complained about not being as good as his siblings at things like that, he still managed to make it in from, like, fifty feet away. He was still an Apollo kid, after all. Apparently throwing things was close enough to archery to give them skills in it. Nico didn't see the logic in that, but whatever.   
He poked at Nico's scratches for a minute, but didn't do much. Nico didn't even really feel anything. It was possible that he was just distracted, but it seemed more likely that the injury just wasn't that bad. Nico hadn't been lying when he said it felt fine. He had always healed fast.   
"That wasn't too bad," Will admitted as he rewrapped Nico's arm. "If you're lucky, it might not scar, but I wouldn't hold my breath."  
"Yeah, funnily enough, I'm not too worried about scarring. I have worse," Nico responded.   
"I figured you might. You're sure it doesn't hurt? Because I could do-"   
"Will," Nico interrupted. "It's seriously fine. I'm fine. Move on."   
"Fine," Will said with a sigh. "If it starts bothering you, though, let me know. I'm serious. The last thing you need is for it to get infected again because you ignored what I said."   
Nico shrugged. "Yeah, whatever." Will looked less than reassured, but let the subject drop.   
"Okay. Just let me go grab a couple of things so I can get my sample, and then you can get out of here. Don't go anywhere," Will pressed. Nico nodded, and Will walked away.   
Nico flopped onto his back, the entire interaction replaying in his head.   
'You talk a big game, di Angelo, but I'm not scared of you.'  
He's not scared.   
Well, that's something, at least.


End file.
